Car maker Škoda has joined forces with Czech travel operator RegioJet to help individuals to travel conveniently across cities in the Czech Republic without the need for car ownership.

The partnership combines RegioJet’s rail and coach infrastructure with Škoda’s ride-sharing BeRider eScooter and HoppyGo initiatives.

Imagine taking an electric scooter to the bus or train station, hopping onto a coach or train to another city, and renting a shared car for the last kilometre of a journey. This is exactly what the collaboration between Škoda Auto DigiLab and RegioJet will create, allowing users to travel quickly and conveniently using just one app.

This approach is available in the Czech Republic and ensures that individuals who do not own a vehicle, or wish to travel more sustainably, have a range of travel options available, whether that’s the train, car or an electric scooter. The flexibly enables users to select the mobility options that work best for their needs so they can reach their intended destination conveniently and cleverly.

When purchasing a RegioJet coach or train ticket, travellers can register for the Škoda Auto DigiLab eScooter-sharing service. Following confirmation, they will be emailed a code that entitles them to use the city scooters free of charge for 60 minutes.

RegioJet and DigiLab have incorporated the HoppyGo private peer-to-peer car- sharing service in a similar way. Newly registered HoppyGo users receive a 500-koruna credit for travelling with RegioJet, which they can use to rent a car. They can, for example, make their way to the station using a shared car, park it in an allocated space and continue their journey by coach or train.

DigiLab intends to go a step further and incorporate the RegioJet lines in its Prague Citymove mobility app. Using the app, travellers will have access to a mix of mobility options, such as BeRider eScooters, buses, trams, metro, rental bikes, taxis and ride-hailing services. Users can select, book and pay for the means of transport that give them the best connections to any destination at any time. BeRider and HoppyGo are already included in the app’s mobility options.

Debuting in Prague in 2019, the BeRider eScooter service allows individuals to hire an electric scooter to travel across the city. Since its launch, over 80,000 users have downloaded the app, with the e-scooters covering more than 500,000km.

The HoppyGo service, which was introduced in 2018, connects users with vehicles that are available to rent in their local area, reducing the emphasis on car ownership.